The Other Side
by Neko-Iino
Summary: Noa, a young island girl, has her life flipped upside down by the crash-landing of a strange key-wielding boy on the beaches she calls home. She fixes his wounds, tells him the island's legends, but not once did she expect the adventure she was in for.
1. Shooting Stars

Author's Notes: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Sora, or any other KH-related things that show up within this story. I wrote this to get credit for Creative Writing at my school, and because I had a dream that was begging to be written out.  
I do own Noa, Oji, Kyuudou Island, and all the other non-game characters in this story. Don't use them without my permission, okay?  
Now then, without further ado...

**Kingdom Hearts: The Other Side**

Chapter 1 - Shooting Stars:

They say that the stars in the sky aren't really stars. They say they're really Heartless and Nobodies just waiting, waiting for their moment to swoop down and destroy us. I go out to the beach every night, watching the sky, thinking. I am prepared. I will not let them ruin what little I have.

Kids my age think I'm crazy, you know. Crazy for believing in the legends, and what the elders say. I'm only fifteen, and already a social outcast. What a stunning turn of events. Not really.

I've been a strange child ever since I was born. While other kids were born all normal and beautiful and cute, I was born different. First of all, my mother had a C-section just to get me the hell out of her. She was never happy during her pregnancy, as I've been told a million times. I know, a C-section doesn't sound that strange, as it happens all the time...here, on this little island...it's a very rare occurrence. When it does happen, the children of the operation always seem to be, well, a little off.

What was wrong with me? Oh...well, I was the strangest child of all the kids who had been born through a C-section. I was born with a genetic mutation, one that gave me cat ears and a tail. Yeah, imagine the baby lying in her crib, brown cat ears and a brown tail to match her plain brown hair. Wonderful.

Mother was never very fond of me. Her other two children were perfectly normal, but me, the middle child...I was a freak. She never held me when I was young. When my father did, I would always be crying, begging for my mother...

I don't remember any of it. Father told me. I don't want to remember it. I never wanted to hear it.

I knew, just from the way she treated me, that Mother didn't like me. She would constantly beat down my self-esteem, call me names, yell at me for anything that went wrong, whether it was my fault or not...I didn't need to hear that she'd always been doing it, ever since I was born. Father thought I should know. Father didn't always know best.

Another thing kids here don't like about me: I get side tracked easily, and I can talk about anything for hours. Most kids on the island can't stand staying on the same subject for more than a few minutes. They move onto the next thing in a heartbeat. There's always more to say. I know that. They hate that I know that. They hate listening.

I've learned not to talk, most of the time. The only time I really open up and talk to anyone is when I'm with the elders. They've taught me, helped me to learn everything I know about the Heartless, and the Nobodies. They say that there is a 'Keyblade Master' traveling through the worlds, defeating the creatures everywhere he goes and trying to restore balance and peace. I always hope he'll come to our world. But I doubt he ever will- the last time we had Heartless here was centuries ago, and the only record we have of it is cave drawings in the cavern on the far side of the island. No one except me goes there anymore. I only go to think, and avoid everyone else.

The elders taught me how to fight, as well as giving me the books to read. I may not be an expert, but put a wooden sword in my hand, and I am one hell of a fighter. You wouldn't want to cross me, if you knew what I was capable of. Most people don't know. Most people don't bother to find out.

"See you, Oji!"

Elder Oji waves to me as I leave his home. Night is quickly approaching. It's about time for me to head out to the beach, watch the night sky for changes...and think. It's starting to feel like that's all I do, as of late...think. The elders don't seem to have much to say to me, or anything left to teach me. So I spend my nights wandering the beach as usual...and my days are usually spent sitting in the caverns, just thinking some more. I'm not sure what to do anymore.

Also...it seems like the elders aren't telling me something. I don't know what, but every time they so much as glance at me, they have this...look. Like they know something's going to happen. Like they know I'm someone special. I'm really not. Just a girl desperate for an escape from her daily hell at home.

I make my way down to the beach, just as all the other kids are hurrying home. Their legs run, run, run, moving as fast as they can, but mine...I just let my pace stay slow and steady. I stare at my feet as I walk, the earbuds in my ears- the human set, that is -blocking out the yelling of the others. They yell at me, yell at each other...they just yell. I just ignore it all, and let the music from my mp3 player fill me, letting my heart pound with the beat.

When I reach the water's edge, most of the other kids have vacated the beach, but a few stragglers remain behind. I stand alone in the sand, the waves barely lapping against the toes of my shoes. As the other kids start to head home, I hum along with my music, watching the sky, and taking note every time another star comes into view. Within minutes, the beach has emptied of all people besides myself. The sky is quickly darkening, and the moon slowly appears, casting an eerie light onto the pale sand. Stars begin to show their faces, one by one. I watch in silence, until I see something moving on the edge of my field of vision. I turn my head towards it, only to discover that it's a shooting star, up in the murky blackness of the night sky. I watch it, finding an odd nervousness shooting through me. If the legends the elders told me are true, and stars really are Heartless and Nobodies...then that shooting star could be one of them moving, starting the attack.

Biting my lip, I continue to watch it, noticing that it's coming closer, instead of disappearing over the horizon. My eyes widen, and I stare in stunned terror as it gets so close that I can make out a shape amidst the bright light surrounding the thing shooting towards the beach. It...it's shaped...like a human. If I wasn't staring before, I sure as hell am now. How would it even be possible to be surrounded in light and coming down from the sky at such a speed?

And then...the blazing light around the human-shaped meteor comes to an end. The missile has landed in the water, making a huge splash when it hits. I shield my eyes from the salt water, and as soon as it's safe, I look out at the place where the thing landed. There, floating in the water, is a boy, probably no older than me. Although I can't be sure at this distance, I think he's unconscious, but I only assume that because he has remained unmoving, just bobbing up and down in the waves, floating on his back.

"Aw, crap," I mutter, pulling my earbuds out of my ears and dropping them and my mp3 player into the sand. Once that's done, I quickly shed my jacket and kick off my shoes, running into the water and swimming towards the limp form lying in the waves. I'm not a great swimmer, and even though he was somewhat far away from my spot on the beach, getting to him is quick and relatively easy.

"Hey! Hey!" I start trying to wake him as soon as I reach him, yelling at him to try and bring him back to the world of consciousness. His eyelids flutter, briefly revealing incredibly blue eyes, but they quickly close again. I grab onto him as his motionless body starts to sink, and I begin to swim back to shore, my already slow speed brought down even further with his added weight. I make it back to the beach, dropping the boy on the sand and looking him over. His clothes were slightly torn up and damp with blood and salt water. I knew he must've been in pain, just by looking at all the wounds he had. I could understand why he'd passed out. I wouldn't want to be awake after all that either.

Still, I try again to wake him up. "C'mon, please! Wake up!" I'm pleading with him as I tap my fingers against his cheek, trying to get him to respond. His eyes open again, staring blindly upwards. "K-Kairi...?" He mumbles, clearly only slightly conscious. "Who...who's Kairi...?" I question in return, staring at him, but he only stares past me for a few more seconds, before his eyes slide closed, and he passes out again. I'm truly worried that if he stays like this, he won't be waking up again, ever.

But I know that all I can do for now is get him some help. Knowing I can't bring him to my home, I decide to bring him to Oji's place, as I'm sure the Elders could help him. I lift the boy from the sand, holding his arm over my shoulders, and wrapping my free arm around his waist to hold him up as I half-drag, half carry him in the direction of the Elders' homes, a small cluster of buildings in the center of the island's one town.

By the time we reach Oji's house, my fingers are sticky with the boy's blood, but I don't really care. I guess it's just because I'm used to having blood on or around me...but that's a different story. When I'm standing in front of Oji's door with the boy, I kick the wood of the doorframe, and within moments, the old man opens the door, smiling briefly. However, he then notices my companion, and the smile drops to a look of flustered panic.

"Oh my!" The words escape him seemingly with notice, but then he takes to ushering the two of us inside, a trail of blood droplets following us across Oji's clean wood floor. "Take him to the back bedroom, I'll be there momentarily!" I nod to him, and continue half-carrying, half-dragging the unknown boy, heading straight for the back bedroom. It's the only guest bedroom in the house. All of the homes built for the Elders have one guest bedroom, usually used for when we have a visitor to our island.

Each room is the same, with occasional bits of flair added by the Elder who owns the home. Oji's guest bedroom is very simple, with a bed tucked into the corner farthest from the door, a small nightstand beside it, and a lamp on top of that. There is also a throw rug in the middle of the wooden floor, and a window on the wall beside the bed. Only one wall hanging sits in the room, a scroll containing a simple inspirational poem, one that I've almost memorized from seeing it so many times. I enter this room, quickly crossing it to set the boy on the bed. I kneel on the floor beside him, gently taking his hand in mine, sighing softly.

"Just...don't die, okay?" I whisper to him, hoping he can hear me. "I...I don't want you to die."

Oji enters the room a few minutes later, his arms stocked with medical supplies. He immediately sets to work on the boy, stopping the bleeding and patching the stranger's wounds to the best of his ability. When he finally pulls away, he sighs, looking over the teenager again.

"Well, that's the best I can do for now." He muttered, mostly to himself, as I rose from my place on the floor.

"Is...is he gonna be okay?" I asked, my voice soft and concerned. Oji set a gentle hand on my head, right in between my cat ears. I did my best not to duck away from his touch. It wasn't really Oji that scared me, so much as the idea that another human being was touching me. I guess you could call it natural instinct to flinch away from just about all touch. Even Oji hadn't earned my trust in that area.

"...I don't know, yet. We'll have to watch over him and see how things go...I'd like you to visit frequently while he's here," He said, and I nodded in response before he continued. "But for now, you should head home. It is late, and I'm sure your mother wants you back." A sigh escaped me, and I pulled away from the old man, nodding again.

"Y-yes, sir...I'll...I'll be back tomorrow." I tell him, before hurrying out of his home, and back towards my own. I can only hope that the boy will be alright.

Yet, despite my worry, I can't help but be curious. Who was he? How did he fall from the sky like that? And...what was that look on Oji's face? Why did he seem like he knew this strange teen?

I suppose I'll ask him tomorrow.


	2. Limbo

Author's Notes: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Sora, or any other KH-related things that show up within this story. I wrote this to get credit for Creative Writing at my school, and because I had a dream that was begging to be written out.  
I do own Noa, Oji, Kyuudou Island, and all the other none-game characters in this story. Don't use them without my permission, okay? 

Also, if it's not obvious, this story is written in alternating viewpoints. Chapter one is in Noa's viewpoint, chapter two is Sora's…and although there is no pattern to which chapter gets which character, I hope it's easy enough to figure out who's telling the story.

Now then, without further ado... 

**Kingdom Hearts: The Other Side**

Chapter 2 - Limbo:

It felt like I was floating. Somewhere in between the light and the dark, somewhere between life and death. I guess I was in limbo. But there was this voice in all the confusion. It kept talking to me.

"Hey! Hey!" It was the first time I'd ever heard this voice. I didn't recognize it, and so I tried to force myself to look, but I remained trapped without a single sight to guide me. All I had was the voice. I clung to it, refused to let go for fear that if I did, I would be lost.

I could feel my body being held against something, jostled around as I was moved. I didn't understand what was happening, but I could hear the labored breathing from the owner of the voice. Were they moving me? Why? And where was I being taken? I tried to move, tried to do anything to get myself out of this place...but I couldn't manage it. Things got darker for a short while, and then I returned to my half-alive state, only able to feel and hear. The person holding me- if it was a person -dumped me onto something soft and grainy, and I sunk into a little. I felt soft fingers on my cheek, and instinctively, my head leaned towards them. I was freezing, and the warmth emitting from these foreign fingertips was appreciated.

"C'mon, please! Wake up!" There was a sense of urgency in the voice, and I tried to force myself to open my eyes. I barely managed it, but I still saw nothing clearly. It was all out of focus, including the face above me. I couldn't even tell for sure the gender of this person, because everything was too blurry. "K-Kairi...?" I thought of her, my friend from my home island, and her name escaped my lips as a question.

"Who...who's Kairi...?" The voice asked me, but I can't get another word out. I stare for a few moments longer, trying to bring my sight into focus, but I can't. My eyes slide closed again, and darkness reigns in my mind.

When I start to feel and hear again, I immediately notice the soft fingers now holding my gloved hand, clinging to it, as if for dear life. If I could've, I would've smiled at the thought. Whoever the person was, they seemed more scared for me than I was.

"Just...don't die, okay?" The voice starts to talk again, and its whispered words startle me, but I don't move. I can't. I can almost recognize the tears in the voice, as if they are truly afraid that I'll be lost soon. "I...I don't want you to die."

I don't understand. I don't know this person, which means they shouldn't know me, right? So why does this person care about my life or even my death? I am merely a stranger to them, and even if I'd like to believe that all people are kind and don't want to wish death upon others, I know better. I have to.

I hear footsteps nearby, and the soft fingers slide away from me, to be replaced by someone ripping at my clothes and...bandaging my body, I think. But why? I'm not hurt, am I? I don't feel any pain, so why would I be hurt? I don't know, but I can't fight whoever it is trying to 'help' me. I still can't get my body to move.

"Well, that's the best I can do for now." I think it's an old man talking, judging by the slight rasp in this new voice.

"Is...is he gonna be okay?" The voice that I cling to speaks, and I can clearly discern the worry laced in it. The old one responds with a strange answer.

"...I don't know, yet. We'll have to watch over him and see how things go...I'd like you to visit frequently while he's here. But for now, you should head home. It is late, and I'm sure your mother wants you back."

There's something in his voice, some hidden message in his words, that makes me think the original voice's mother is not someone to be messed with, nor is she someone kind. Just from the old man's few words, I think I understand that there is something different about the voice's mother. She is not average. She is not a normal, loving, caring mother.

...or I could just be making things up.

"Y-yes, sir...I'll...I'll be back tomorrow." The voice says, and I hear light footsteps trotting away. I want to call out, I want to beg them to stay. I try, but I can't get any words out. I can't even get my mouth open. I just lay there, helpless. I can feel the old man's eyes on me, and when he finally speaks, I am surprised.

"You cannot die, Keyblade Master. The worlds need you. Hold on, and never give up."

How did he know that I was the wielder of the Keyblade?

I can hear his footsteps as well as he leaves the room with a sigh. I try again to drag myself out of my personal limbo, but the most I can manage is a flutter of my eyelids. I briefly see a plain white ceiling, and then I return to the darkness.

I decide to give up for the moment, and I allow myself to relax, floating away into what I hope will be the world of a dream.


	3. Don't Be Scared

Author's Notes: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Sora, or any other KH-related things that show up within this story. I wrote this to get credit for Creative Writing at my school, and because I had a dream that was begging to be written out.  
I do own Noa, Oji, Kyuudou Island, and all the other non-game characters in this story. Don't use them without my permission, okay?

Also, if it's not obvious, this story is written in alternating viewpoints. Chapter one is in Noa's viewpoint, chapter two is Sora's…and although there is no pattern to which chapter gets which character, I hope it's easy enough to figure out who's telling the story.

Consider this chapter a Valentine's Day present for all of my readers. 3 Thanks for the support, everyone.

Now then, without further ado...

**Kingdom Hearts: The Other Side**

Chapter 3 - Don't Be Scared:

I can't tell how long it's been since the person I still refer to as 'the voice' saved me. I've caught glimpses of them when I can make my eyes open, but it's not often. I'm tired all the time, and pain has started to set in. I guess the old man knew what he was doing when he helped me. Unfortunately, the shock is now over, and the pain has become prominent. My only distraction from it is the voice.

It talks to me in a soft, gentle tone whenever the person it belongs to is around. This person has changed my bandages a couple times, and I cannot help the embarrassment I feel when they do. The old man doesn't bother me much, but the voice...well, there's something about it that makes me think I should be embarrassed by the idea of their soft hands touching and looking at everything there is to me. The voice is very careful to keep from touching anything that would make either of us uncomfortable. Its fingers never even come close to such areas. As glad as I am that the person recognizes boundaries, I'm extremely confused by it. The old man isn't nearly as careful, but when he talks to me, I can tell he's just as considerate. Plus, I haven't even been able to tell the voice or the old man that they should be cautious about what they touch, but the voice seems to just know. I have to wonder if it's the voice's own experiences that makes them so delicate, or if that's just the way they are. I honestly don't know.

"Oji..." I hear the voice say one day, and I think the person is talking to the old man. "It's been two days. Is he ever going to wake up?" The worry in their question makes me a little anxious, too. I don't want to be stuck like this. I want to be able to move, see, speak...I can't stay like this.

"Don't fret." The old man assures the voice. "He's recovering. Slowly, but surely. I'm certain he'll be awake in no time." There is a quiet pause, and then I feel eyes looking at me. I can tell it's the voice, watching me in silence.

"...alright, Oji. I just hope you're right." The voice murmurs, and the old man (I think I should be calling him Oji now) laughs.

"My dear, you should know by now! Oji is always right!" The voice laughs too, in a quiet, melodic sort of way. I like the sound of it.

"Of course..."

The footsteps of the two seem to echo as they leave the room, and I find myself begging silently for the voice to return. I hate being alone when I'm stuck like this. Heck, I hate being alone period. I'm not used to it, and its unnerving, especially when I'm so helpless.

I don't know how much time passes before the voice returns to me, speaking in the same soft tone that it's been using since it got me to...wherever I am. When it does return, I can hear floorboards creaking as the voice gets down beside the thing I lay upon (a bed, maybe), and their hand takes mine again.

"...you know, I'm sure you don't want to be awake...after all the wounds you've sustained, and falling into salt water too...I wouldn't want to be conscious either." For once, the voice doesn't understand. I am conscious, to a point, but I can't do anything! "But...you need to wake up. You need to move, you need to let me know you're alive...I don't want to worry so much. I don't want to go to bed at night and think, 'Will he be dead when I get there tomorrow?' I know Oji says you're healing, but I can't help but be scared...please, just wake up..."

"Don't be scared." Another voice says, this one not belonging to the voice, nor Oji. As I think, trying to understand who it is...I realize it was me. I spoke. I told them not to be scared. I try again to open my eyes, and I find I can manage it now. The light above hurts them, and I squint as I try to adjust. It doesn't do much, so I turn my head, and I stare at the owner of the voice. They float in and out of my line of vision, still a bit of a blur, but I can see the way they stare at me, stunned.

"You...you're awake..." The voice whispers, and I see the person's pale lips moving. I know this is them, the one who saved me, even if I still can't see them clearly.

"Well, I couldn't stay out cold forever!" I tell them, grinning, as my swimming vision seems to calm a bit. I can see somewhat better, though my eyes are still hurting from the light above. That isn't what I care about right now, though.

I study the figure beside me, focusing on it instead of looking at my surroundings. Looking at just one thing helps my eyes, and I start seeing them clearly, even if I can't see anything around us.

I'm mildly startled to find that the person, the voice, is a female. Her wide brown eyes stare at me, looking right into my own eyes. My eyes travel up and down what I can see of her, taking in every last detail.

At first glance, she seems rather plain. Light brown hair falls to her shoulders in soft waves, framing her pale, rounded face. She seems about as young as I am, really. She couldn't be any older than fifteen. From what I can see of her body, she appears to be slim, and most of her body is covered up with clothing. She's currently wearing a black shirt covered by a baggy, dark grey hooded jacket, and I think I see some dark blue jeans, but I can't be too sure, since her body is partially hidden by the thing I lay upon (yeah, I'm almost certain it's a bed), which she is kneeling besides. At the collar of her shirt, I see a pale pink mark just barely peeking out from beneath the fabric, and I can't help the frown that appears on my face. Is that a scar? It's a weird place for one, if it is.

I let my eyes travel upwards again, to her face, where I take a closer look at her eyes. As it turns out, they aren't just plain brown. At these close quarters, I can see little specks of green dotting her irises, giving her eyes this odd shine. Finally, I notice the one thing that makes her incredibly different.

Perched on top of her head are twin cat ears, the same shade of brown as her hair. They twitch and swivel as we stare at each other, listening to every sound, even the quiet calls of animals outside.

"...w-what?" She finally asks, breaking the silence between us. "Wh-why are you staring at me?" Her nervousness is almost...comical. Still, I feel pretty embarrassed too, since I had been just blatantly staring. I quickly look away, redirecting my eyes to the ceiling. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see her lower her gaze to our entwined fingers, and as she looks at them, her face flushes bright pink, and she pulls her hand away. Why? Is there something wrong with holding my hand now that I'm awake? I don't understand.

"I...just want to know what you're like. You saved me, I know it was you." I finally tell her, and her head pops up again, her wide eyes staring at me in confusion.

"...I...It wasn't a big deal...I-I mean...I w-would've done it for anybody..." She stutters, biting at her lower lip. I pause a moment, and then respond with nothing short of the truth.

"But you didn't do it for 'anybody.' You did it for me." There is silence for a short few moments, and then I break it with quiet words. "...Thank you." I look back at her with a friendly grin, and while she only stares at me at first, she finally gives me a shy smile in return.

"I guess so..." She says, bowing her head and avoiding my eyes. I can't help but wonder why. Maybe she's just nervous...

"So...what's your name, huh?" I ask, watching her cat ears as they continue to flinch at every noise, as if the girl herself is frightened over each sound. "I'm Sora." I introduce myself first, hoping that will make her less nervous around me, though I don't know why it would.

"N-Noa." She stutters at me, slowly raising her gaze again. "I'm...I'm Noa." I smile, starting to sit up in the hopes that I can give a proper introduction (handshakes and all that), but when I start moving, Noa is on her feet and gently pushing me back down against the bed.

"H-hey, I can sit up..." I protest, noticing her worried expression.

"N-no, you shouldn't...you're still healing...!" She tells me, keeping her hands on my shoulders as if she wants to make sure I don't try to get up again. I lift my hands and push gently at her shoulders in return, trying to make her back off. She does, but with a different reaction than I expected: she actually flinched when I touched her...as if I'd caused her some sort of pain. But how the heck could I have done that? She seemed fine to me, and wasn't I supposed to be the one who hurt from little touches like that?

She noticed my confusion, and as she rubbed gingerly at one shoulder, she tried to explain herself. "S-sorry. I...I j-just...fell the other day...s-so...there's a bruise on my s-shoulder, that's all..." It was almost...frustrating how see-through her lie was. But I didn't push it. She didn't want to talk about it, I could see that. So I just smile and nod, switching the subject to avoid making her any more uncomfortable.

"Ahh...sorry, then," I pause a moment, looking around the room and towards the window beside the bed I lay in. Outside lays an island that brings back memories of my own home, Destiny Islands. Kids run around on the sand, fighting playfully with each other, talking and relaxing, doing everything any kid would've. I glanced back at Noa, wondering why she was in here instead of out there. The old man, Oji, probably would've been okay if she didn't keep coming. Even if I liked having someone my age here too, I didn't understand why she would do that for a stranger. "So...where am I?" I finally asked, breaking the short silence.

Her eyes had wandered to her shoes again, but they slowly returned to my face as she spoke. "U-um...you...you're on Kyuudou Island." She kept her words short and to the point, as if she was avoiding conversation. I didn't understand that, either.

I looked back to the window anyway, watching the other kids run around. "...You live here, right?"

I see her nod out of the corner of my eye, and then she murmurs a small, "Yes," to accompany it. "...why do you ask?" She then responds with a question, and I paused a moment, trying to think of a reason for asking it.

"Just wondering...if maybe you could give me a tour some time?" I look back at her with a smile on my face, but she doesn't look up at me. "Seems like a fun place to be, so I want to know everything about it...y'know?" She looks up at me then, but there's this distant look in her eyes, like she's somewhere else entirely.

"Fun...no, I have no idea what you're talking about." She says, before she seems to snap to attention. Her eyes immediately widen, and she looks away, biting at her lip. "I...I'm sorry, I just get like that sometimes, I don't mean to be rude, promise...!" She actually seems...scared. It's like she thinks I'm going to get mad at her or something. Now I'm really confused.

"No, no! Don't worry about it, okay?" I'm still smiling, of course, but I was confused. And when she looked back at me, I could see that she recognized that confusion immediately. Was I really that obvious?

As her eyes met mine, she got this flustered look on her face, and immediately bowed her head. It took her a moment, but when she spoke, it was almost inaudible. "...okay." She whispers the word, and I find myself really wanting to know why she's so nervous and frightened of...well...everything. There has to be a reason behind it, right? Unfortunately, I don't get a chance to ask.

Right as I open my mouth to speak again, another person enters the room. I close my mouth, instead looking over the newcomer.

I assume this new person is Oji, just by the fact that he's an old man. His face is crinkled and amidst all the lines, you can see these pale blue-grey eyes that seem to twinkle. Most of his hair is black, but it's easy to see that his hairline's receding and grey streaks litter the strands. He even has a beard and mustache, as if he's trying to let people know he's a _really_ old man. But...he looks pretty wise. Maybe there were things he knows that no one else does? I can't help but wonder...and after that comment from him earlier...he knows that I wield the Keyblade. Maybe he really does know things without being told...how strange.

"Oh! Good! You're awake!" His voice startles me out of my thoughts, but I smile on instinct at him. "You're feeling better, yes?"

"Yep, thanks to you two, I'm assuming." My gaze travels to Noa, but she's staring at her shoes again. The old man just laughs, walking to Noa and ruffling her hair. She bats at his hands, pouting.

"Oji! Stop it!" She complains. He just smiles and looks back at me as he draws his hand away from her head.

"I don't know how much I did. She spent most of her time here with you, and she brought you here in the first place, so I'm going to have to assume she had much more to do with your healing than I did!" He says, his smile seeming endless. Noa just blushes and turns her head away, pouting even more. I guess there is a part of her that isn't as nervous as she seems to act around me.

"I didn't do that much...I just talked to him..." She mutters, as Oji looks down at her, shaking his head.

"Tsk, tsk. If no one had talked to him, he probably wouldn't have woken up!" He tells her, and she immediately looks up at him, curiosity reigning on her features.

"How the heck do you know that?" She asks, and he just shrugs.

"Call it an old man's intuition."

"You liar! You're always talking in riddles, you old coot!"

"Who're you calling an old coot, you little troublemaker!"

I can't help but laugh at the two of them, bickering like children. As soon as they realize I'm laughing, they turn back to me, and Noa immediately goes back to blushing and pouting while Oji just smiles.

"Ahh, it seems you caught us in one of our less flattering moments..." He says, and I just grin at him.

"Hey, don't worry about it. I thought it was funny!"

Shifting nervously, Noa glances up at me, and ever so slowly, a smile appears on her lips. I give a smile in return, and soon after, she hides her face again.


	4. Allen

Author's Notes: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Sora, or any other KH-related things that show up within this story. I wrote this to get credit for Creative Writing at my school, and because I had a dream that was begging to be written out.

I do own Noa, Oji, Kyuudou Island, and all the other non-game characters in this story. Don't use them without my permission, okay?

Also, if it's not obvious, this story is written in alternating viewpoints. Chapter one is in Noa's viewpoint, chapter two is Sora's…and although there is no pattern to which chapter gets which character, I hope it's easy enough to figure out who's telling the story.

Um. This chapter is…a late St. Patrick's Day present? (Even though the two are totally not related…XD) Anyway. Enjoy.

(Thanks for the support, everyone who's read this! : D)

P.S. Chapter five is in progress and it'll be the last one for now, since it's all I need for my writing credit at school. I'll probably still continue, but it'll come along much slower, I think. Still, I'll do my best to keep it going.

Now then, without further ado...

Kindom Hearts: The Other Side

Chapter 4 - Allen:

Days passed like this. Noa would come to visit me every single day without fail, usually sticking around the whole day to keep me company. There were a couple of instances where she had to leave early, but she was always back the next day, and made sure to spend her time with me. It was a little confusing. I still couldn't get myself to understand why she was doing this for me...but I definitely wasn't about to protest to it. I think I might go a little crazy being stuck in this bed with no one but Oji to talk to.

After the first few days, Noa stopped trying to keep me in bed. However, the first time I actually got up and moved around, she was like my shadow, keeping close to me as I stretched my legs and got my body moving again. I could tell by the look on her face that she was just afraid I'd fall or get hurt again. I didn't mind too much. Having someone there in case something _did_ happen was kind of reassuring.

She kept up her shadow act for the next few times I got up and moved about, but soon enough, she just let me do as I would, instead taking to sitting on the bed and watching over me. Soon enough, there came a day where Noa actually tried to talk to me, instead of me attempting to make conversation and her dodging everything. I was standing in front of the scroll hanging on the wall, a simple decoration with a little poem on it, while she sat on the bed like usual. I had been studying the scroll, trying to figure out the meaning of the poem, but when Noa finally piped up, I turned back to her, smiling casually as always.

"Sora...?" That was when I turned to face her, tilting my head.

"Yeah, Noa?" I questioned in return, wondering what she wanted, and also glad that she was trying to have a conversation without me leading the whole thing.

"I...I was just wondering...when I pulled you out of the water at the beach...you said...a name...'Kairi.' Who is...Kairi?"

Well, of all the questions she could've asked, that was probably one of the least expected ones. I paused, staring at her, wondering why she would've remembered the one thing I said before she brought me here, to Oji's house. Heck, I barely remembered it! Yet, just by looking at her, I could tell that me saying Kairi's name was something that had been bothering Noa. When I looked at her, it seemed like she was...something more than curious...but not afraid. Nervous, maybe, but definitely not afraid. It was a strange thing, not seeing that fear so prominent on her soft features.

"Um...well...Kairi's a friend of mine. She and I lived together on Destiny Islands, along with our other friend Riku. That was our home." I know she noticed me wince at saying 'that _was_ our home.' It was hard to believe that...it was gone, swallowed by darkness. I still wondered if there was any rescuing it. And even if I could bring it back, who's to say it would be the same island, who's to say I'd still be able to call it home?

Noa was silent, just watching me. She knew I was troubled by something. The curiosity and confusion as to what that 'something' was...it was written plain as day all over her face.

"...Sora? Are you alright? You seem...upset." I could tell she was throwing in 'upset' for a lack of a better term for the mixture of emotions I was obviously feeling.

"...I...I'm fine. I was just...thinking about home. It was...destroyed by darkness. I don't know...if I'll ever be able to go back." A heavy sigh escaped me, and I found that I couldn't meet Noa's eyes. I could feel her gaze on me, though, and soon enough, I heard the bed creak as she rose from it. Her feet padded across the stretch between me and her, until she stood in front of me, looking up at me with the most understanding I'd ever seen in anyone since my adventure started.

"I know what it's like...not having a home to go to." She said, her voice soft, as if she didn't want me to hear. I finally looked her in the eyes, and I saw the strangest sadness. I wished I could understand her as well as she seemed to understand me, if only so I would know what she meant when she spoke such cryptic words.

"Oji...Oji said you had a mother though, right? And a house to go to?" I questioned, wondering why she would say she had no home, when Oji had mentioned her mother during my stay in limbo. She smiled, but it was this misunderstood, sad kind of smile. She turned away from me, took a few steps and stopped. She was still within arm's reach, but she kept her back to me as she hugged herself.

"Just because I have a house...doesn't mean I have a _home_." She told me, and I could almost...hear her tears. It didn't help that she had started to shake, her body trembling so lightly. As I stepped towards her, she dropped her arms and turned to me, shoving her thumbs in the pockets of her jeans. She just watched me approach, and when I stood maybe a few inches away, I stopped and looked down at her.

"...I don't know what you mean...but please, Noa, don't cry...I don't want you to be upset..." I was trying to comfort her, but also trying to coax an explanation from her. What could she have meant by that? Having a house, but not a home...it didn't follow. Weren't they the same thing? She gave me the same smile as she had earlier, one of depression and the loneliness that comes with no one truly getting what you mean when you speak, or even who you are.

"You're a sweet boy, Sora..." She lifted one hand from her pocket, reaching up and gently brushing her fingers against my cheek. "...and I wish...I wish I could tell you about me...about _them_...but you can't help me." She paused, gave me a slightly pleased smile, but the sadness still reigned in her expression. "...Thank you, though. For caring. It's nice to see that not everyone has been lost." She was about to pull her hand away, but I caught her hand in mine, holding it and refusing to let go.

"Noa...please...tell me what you're talking about. You say I can't help, but how do you know for sure? Let me try. I can see something's wrong...but if you don't tell me what, I can't do anything..." I wanted to help her. I wanted to pay her back and more for all that she'd done for me. She saved my life, and I owed her, big time. But...I was helpless unless she talked to me. If she didn't open up, how was I supposed to even try fixing whatever problem she had?

She allowed me to hold her hand for a moment longer, but then she pulled back, and I released her fingers. She turned from me once more, walking towards the door. At the door, she paused, and glanced back at me.

"I'm going to take a walk down to the beach. You're welcome to join me." She told me, before opening the door and walking out. I managed to slip on a pair of sandals Oji had provided me before I hurried after her. I didn't catch up to her until we were outside of Oji's home, heading down the dirt pathway towards the beach. When I did walk beside her, she didn't look at me, nor did she do anything to even acknowledge my presence. I knew she was trying to say 'don't talk' without words, so I kept myself quiet and just walked with her. When we reached the seaside, she stopped at the water's edge, staring across the water and into the distance, where there was nothing but the horizon and some scattered seagulls. I stood beside her for a moment, before I backed up and sat on a log that had washed up on shore, letting myself relax.

We remained there for a long while before anything happened. Noa never left her spot at the edge of the water, and while I occasionally got up to stretch my legs, I mostly stayed on the log and waited for when, if ever, she would be ready to talk to me.

As it happened, she didn't get to talk to me before someone else joined us on the beach. Noa noticed them coming before I did, and she immediately looked over her shoulder. I looked up at her, saw the look of surprise and fear on her face, and promptly looked over my shoulder as well. Walking towards us was a young boy, barely younger than the two of us. Just by Noa's expression, I could tell that she knew him, but I had never seen him before, even though I'd spent a couple weeks on the island already. I watched him as he came closer, and noticed the way he sauntered while he walked, and the way he looked at Noa with this...malicious grin. It reminded me of Malificent, one of the people who had tried to control the Heartless for their own gain. I didn't like it, and I didn't like him.

"Noa!" He calls out to her as soon as he's close enough, being only a few feet from where I sat. The cat ears atop Noa's head perked for a moment at the noise, and then flattened in the sort of way that indicates a cat's fear and distrust. She turned to face him fully, never really meeting his eyes, but trying to make it appear as if she was. The boy didn't notice it, nor did he notice me. He just walked straight past me and up to her, folding his arms over his chest and continuing to give her that evil smile. I watched him anxiously, hoping he wasn't going to do anything to hurt her. I knew I was still injured, and I knew there was little chance of me taking a kid like that down, but I also knew I wouldn't stand by and ignore him.

"Mom's pretty upset with you, you know. She's always talking, asking where you are and why you aren't home when you're supposed to be." He paused, tilting his head at her. She seemed to brace herself. "So, where have you been, Noa? Why aren't you listening to mom and staying in the house?"

"...I...I was helping Oji with something..." She stutters, the fear written clearly on her face. He takes a step forward, and she takes a step back, the ocean water lapping at her ankles.

"Oh? And what could be so important that you would _dare_ piss mom off? She sent me to come get you, you know. You should be home, cleaning, or at least doing _something_ productive, instead of running around like an idiot. Then again, I don't know why she expects so much of you..." He paused again, this time looking as if thinking. I narrowed my eyes, having a sneaking feeling of what he was going to say next. "I mean, honestly. You're too _worthless_ to do anything right, so why does she even care what you do? If you weren't so dumb, the family might actually be able to use you, but you're just _so_ stupid!" He laughs, and Noa looks left and right, as if trying to find an escape. I stand up, worrying about her. I don't know what he's planning, but I know that whatever it is, it can't be good.

It's then that Noa turns, trying to run from him. Before I can even react, he grabs the back of her jacket, tugging her back and throwing her down to the sand, right where the water comes up. As if to make things worse, the water rose up as it had been doing, and made its way right into Noa's face. She coughed, spluttering and dragging herself up off the ground, now on all fours as she tried to regain her breath. The boy wouldn't let her. He kicked her in the ribs, hard, and she let out a cry of pain, now gasping for each breath.

"Hey!" I managed to catch the jerk's attention with that one word, and he whipped around to face me, glaring.

"What the hell do you want?" He demanded, as my own eyes narrowed in a glare.

"I want to know why the heck you just _kicked_ her!" I snapped at him, and he just shook his head at me.

"Why wouldn't I? She's a useless freak, and she can't do anything right...screw ups deserve punishment!"

Immediately, I scowled, my glare getting more and more vicious with every word he spoke. "She's not useless, or a freak, or a screw up!" I told him, my voice laced with the disgust I felt towards this kid. "Hell, I think _you're_ all of those things!"

"What did you just say?" I could almost see his anger level rising. He was getting just as mad as I was, but I can't say I cared much. I just wanted to protect Noa from this guy.

"You heard me!"

Noa, who was still on all fours, turned her head enough to look over at me, tears in her eyes. "S-Sora...please...don't do this...not for me...you'll...you'll get hurt again...!" I looked at her for a moment, then returned my gaze to the boy.

"Sorry, Noa. I can't stand around and watch this guy treat you like that." I told her, bracing myself as the boy came at me, fist held high. Fighting heartless makes you pretty quick, and light on your feet, so it was relatively easy to dodge his blow and swing at him in response. My fist connected with his gut, and the blow sent him reeling backwards, holding his middle and coughing a couple times. He didn't let it slow him down long though, and quickly came at me again, this time trying to fake a punch with his left hand. I moved to block it, and almost missed his right fist coming up to strike me. I barely managed to stop it, grabbing his hand and holding it back. He struggled in my grip, but apparently wasn't as strong as he tried to make himself out to be. He couldn't break my hold, and he couldn't continue his swing.

I used the hand I had holding his to shove him, causing him to backpedal towards the water. He froze there for a moment, trying to regain his balance. In the time it took him to do so, I looked at Noa, seeing her getting to her feet. I looked back to the boy just in time to ready myself for him to tackle me. I squeezed my eyes shut and braced myself for the hit, trying to prepare my body for the feeling of hitting the ground...but it never came. I opened my eyes, and standing in front of me, using her body to block that of the boy's...was Noa, defending me.

"Noa...!" I mumbled her name in surprise, but she didn't answer me, just shoved the boy back with all of her might, causing him to stumble backwards, trip, and fall to the sand. Even when he hit the ground, she remained with her back to me, her breathing a little heavier than usual and her tiny hands curled into fists.

"Allen...I don't care how much you hate me...I refuse to let you hurt my friends..." Her voice was the lowest sort of growl, and although I couldn't see her face, I could imagine that her eyes were narrowed in a vicious glare.

The boy rose from the sand, glaring at the two of us with hate burning in his eyes. "Really? You're finally standing up for yourself, then?" He growled at her, his hands shaking with what I could only assume was his rising anger. She gave one nod, snarling her words.

"Yeah. I'm standing up for me, and I'm standing up for Sora. No one should have to put up with a guy like you pushing them around, and I'm _done_ with doing so." She turned to me then, her eyes still dark with rage. She grabbed my hand without a word, not even looking at me as she pulled me away, back towards Oji's house.

I looked behind us, back at the guy Noa called 'Allen.' He was following after us, his steps swift and sure. I was ready to move Noa behind me to keep her from getting hurt, but she seemed to hear him coming across the sand in our direction. She stopped, waited a moment, and turned to look at him again. Her face twisted in the worst sort of hatred, the kind that said quite plainly, 'Back off, or I'll _kill_ you.' She didn't say a word, but the boy seemed to take the hint.

"Fine, Noa...you wanna protect yourself, and that little wimp?" I let a growl of mine roll out of my throat. I was _not_ a wimp! "Have fun trying. But just remember..." The smile on his face was sick and cruel, as if he was laughing at some awful inside joke. "You have to come home eventually."

I could feel her shudder thanks to her hand, which still held onto mine. In fact, her fingers tightened their grip, but she didn't back down. He took a moment, but he finally understood that it was time to scurry away with his tail between his legs. I smiled triumphantly for a moment, glad we'd gotten the brat to leave, but Noa didn't seem willing to have any sort of joy at our victory of sorts.

She turned back in the direction of Oji's place, starting to walk and tugging me after her. I stumbled at first, surprised by her sudden movement, but quickly managed to get to her side and walk calmly with her.

Unfortunately, Noa was anything but calm. Her body shook so hard that she almost had trouble walking, and I wasn't sure if the shaking was from rage...or fear.

"Noa?" She didn't look at me. "...who was that guy?"

"My brother." She responded promptly, and no matter how many questions I asked after that, she refused to say another word.

We made it back to Oji's without any further events, but I made sure to keep Noa's hand in mine the whole walk, noticing that she was visibly calming down as long as our hands held each other's. Noa didn't bother knocking when we reached the old man's house, instead just letting herself in through the unlocked door. Oji was sitting on a small, plush chair in the front room reading a book when we walked in. When he heard us enter, his eyes flicked up to us, and he blinked repeatedly, as if unsure of what he was seeing.

"Noa?" She didn't look at him, just kept her eyes on her shoes. "...did something happen?" I wasn't sure how he knew that something had gone on down at the beach at first, but then I realized that the old man was probably noticing Noa's damp clothes from falling in the water, and the little grains of sand sticking to her from getting knocked down. I let my thumb rub the back of her hand gently, trying to reassure her and coax her into talking to Oji. Maybe he could help her, if she asked. Maybe she _wouldn't_ have to go home.

She wasn't going for it.

Her mouth remained clamped shut, as if her jaw was a rusted hinge that couldn't open any more. I sighed softly, and looked to Oji, my eyes pleading.

"...hey. Old man." He looked to me instead of her, tilting his head.

"Yes, young brat?" Ignoring the quip, I took a breath before giving my request.

"Think Noa could stay here for a while? She...doesn't want to go home right now."

Noa mumbled something under her breath, probably a complaint or protest, but I ignored it and continued to focus on Oji, hoping he'd understand. He had this look on his face as he got up from his chair, leaving his book on the seat, a look that said he knew more than I thought he did. He didn't answer me, just walked to Noa and slid an arm around her shoulders, leading her away from me.

"Come with me, sweetheart. We'll get you a change of clothes and make up a bed, okay?" I gave a relieved smile, knowing that he'd just accepted my request without directly telling me. At least Noa wouldn't have to go back to a brother like _him_. She could be safe here. I'd make sure of it.


End file.
